AQL standard refers to the maximum number of defective that could be considered acceptable during the random sampling of an inspection. The Defects that are found during inspection are classified into 3 levels: Critical, Major and Minor.

The AQL level should be agreed between buyer and supplier before production commences.

The following AQL levels are usually applied by Hong Kong Q.C. Center unless otherwise instructed by customer.

Consumer Product

Critical defects

no critical defect is accepted

Major defects

AQL 2.5

Minor defects

AQL 4.0

HOW TO DETERMIND THE AQL FOR YOUR PRODUCTS?

Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) sample inspection methods have been proven to be accurate over a long run. However, the quality level of merchandise at destination might be lower than that of the pre-shipment inspection result. This may due to the transportation process, product handling at warehouses, or changes in environment, etc. Customers are advised to take these issues into consideration when deciding the AQL level for the products.